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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. land — a country
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — ground
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. current — electric
  8. land — to come down
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. file — a document
  11. march — the month
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. current — of water
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bass — low music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. pit — a hole

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com